https://0xbt.net/blog/archive/elaine95/1561939200/1564617600 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73598/womens-stephen-anderson-jersey Wed, 31 Jul 2019 03:54:50 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73598/womens-stephen-anderson-jersey Frank Reich made it perfectly clear to everyone he would be aggressive when the Indianapolis Colts hired him in February.On Sunday Martinas Rankin Jersey White , his boldness proved costly.Instead of punting on fourth-and-4 from his own 43-yard line and settling for a tie, Reich called for a short, seemingly safe pass from Andrew Luck to Chester Rogers. But Luck's pass bounced short, the Texans got a 24-yard completion on the next play and Ka'imi Fairbairn made a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Houston Texans a 37-34 overtime victory.Nobody in the Colts' locker room was second-guessing the decision, though."I loved it," Luck said. "We had a discussion before the play and I agreed, so it had my stamp of approval. We did not execute well enough. I did not get the ball to Chester to make the play and I'm sick about it. After all the mistakes we made, we still had a chance to make the play and we didn't get it done."The Colts (1-3) certainly had chances all afternoon.After a mostly dismal first half, Luck couldn't convert on a 2-point conversion attempt with 7:41 left in regulation, on the Hail Mary attempt on the final play of regulation or on a third-down play that forced Indy to settle for a go-ahead field with 6 minutes left in overtime.The defense couldn't prevent the Texans from setting up a 40-yard field goal with 2:58 left in regulation, a 59-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of regulation, a 29-yard field goal to tie the score at 34 with 1:50 left in overtime or Julien Davenport Jersey White , of course, the winning kick as time expired.Yes, Reich would have changed one thing if he had to do it over again 鈥?he wouldn't have asked Luck to line up and attempt to draw the Texans (1-3) offside before calling a timeout. He would have gone for it right away.But the failed fourth-down call wasn't the only problem Sunday.Houston's first score came on Jadeveon Clowney's fumble recovery in the end zone when center Ryan Kelly appeared to think Luck was under center rather than in the shotgun, and Fairbairn actually missed the first attempt at the winning kick 鈥?but right after Reich called timeout.The Texans (1-3) took advantage of it. But Reich gained the respect of players on both sides for his unconventional move."I respect their decision to go for the win, not a tie," Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said. "You play to win, you don't play to tie."Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri concurred.After becoming the league's career leader on a 42-yard field goal with 2 seconds left in the first half and giving Indy a 34-31 lead with a 44-yarder in overtime for No. 567, he wanted one more shot to win the milestone game. He never got another chance after the incompletion, spoiling the celebration."I love the call," Vinatieri said. "I love the fourth-down call to go for the win, I really do 鈥?I love it. We just have to make the play. The teams that win games make those plays."This season, the Colts have not made those plays.They lost to Cincinnati in the season opener when Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle fumbled as the Colts were driving for a go-ahead score with less than 2 minutes left. They lost last week at Super Bowl champion Philadelphia when Luck was sacked on fourth-and-goal in the final 2 minutes. On Sunday Justin Reid Jersey White , with their top receiver T.Y. Hilton on the sideline with an injured hamstring, Reich made the call and came up short when the defense allowed Houston to move into scoring position on its fourth consecutive series.But the confidence Reich showed in both his offense and by defense by going for it just might produce some long-term wins."We are not going to be shy, we aren't going to be afraid to go for it," Kelly said. "I think it just goes to show you he has the trust in the playmakers on this team, and no matter who is in there they need to do their job. I got to give it to him." HOUSTON (AP) — The Texans set a team record by running for 281 yards in beating Tennessee.Now they will try to keep their running game going against Cleveland when they attempt to extend their franchise-record winning streak to nine games.Houston’s big rushing performance came thanks in large part to the performance of Lamar Miller, who ran for a season-high 162 yards. His night was highlighted by a franchise-long 97-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.Coach Bill O’Brien has always talked glowingly about Miller’s work and enjoyed watching him break away for that run.“Lamar turned it on,” he said. “He got out in the open, did a great job. Lamar has been a great pro for us since the day he walked in here. So it was nice to see him be able to get that type of run.”Though the Texans have a talented passing game led by quarterback Deshaun Watson and star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, O’Brien believes the key to success is being able to run the ball effectively.“In the end, we’ve got to — our football team, based on what we preach and the type of guys we try to bring in here — we want to be a physically tough, smart football team Womens Ryan Griffin Jersey ,” he said. “We feel like we have to be able to stop the run and we feel like we have to be able to run the ball.”The Texans have run the ball well all year and rank fourth in the NFL by averaging 136.5 yards rushing. Just as it was on Monday night, their success has been because of the play of Miller.The 27-year-old, who is in his third season with the Texans, has three 100-yard rushing games this season after not running for more than 75 yards in a game last year. He ranks eighth in the NFL with 773 yards rushing and is averaging 4.9 yards a carry. His long touchdown on Monday made him the only player in NFL history to have two TD runs of 95 yards or longer after he also had a 97-yard touchdown run in 2014 while with the Dolphins.Houston hasn’t had a rushing performance like his in several years. It was the first time a Texans’ running back had rushed for 150 yards or more with a touchdown since franchise-leading rusher Arian Foster did it in 2014.Watson said when Miller is rolling, it makes everything easier.“It just opens up the whole offense,” Watson said. “The safeties get aggressive. The defense has to show what their hand is … our offensive line and the running backs set (up) the run game and open up the pass game.”Houston’s running game was also helped on Monday by Watson’s scrambling. The speedy quarterback ran for a career-high 70 yards with a 15-yard touchdown after not running for more than 35 yards in the first 10 games.The Texans stayed away from designed running plays for Watson over the past few weeks as he recovered from lung and rib injuries.Though Watson denied that his health had anything to do with limiting such plays in past weeks, it was clear by the way he moved on Monday night that he was far healthier than he had been earlier this season.Watson, who ran for 1,934 yards and 26 touchdowns in three seasons at Clemson, delighted in his rushing performance on Monday night and said fans could expect more such outings in the future.“The opportunity came and I took advantage of it,” he said. “I just got to go out there and continue to try to pick our spots in those situations. But, you never know when I’m going to keep the ball.”Houston’s other running back on the active roster is Alfred Blue Womens Stephen Anderson Jersey , who has 392 yards rushing and has proven to be a good option when Miller needs a break.The Texans’ running game could get a boost soon if D’Onta Foreman is able to return after missing all season after rupturing his Achilles tendon last November.Foreman, who won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top collegiate running back in 2016 at Texas, returned to practice earlier this month but isn’t quite ready to play.“Foreman’s doing better,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think he’s all the way back, though. I really don’t … so we’ll see how it looks this week again. We’ll make a good decision No. 1, based on him — the player and where he’s at — then secondly, based on the team.”]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73596/womens-aaron-ripkowski-jersey Wed, 31 Jul 2019 03:07:33 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73596/womens-aaron-ripkowski-jersey The Green Bay Packers added another name to the injury list just before halftime. Outside linebacker Nick Perry appeared to injury his knee while putting some pressure on Brock Osweiler. He is questionable to return.Perry had a decent pass rush on the Dolphins left tackle but after arriving at Osweiler a step too late Womens Jamaal Williams Jersey , it appeared that someone fell into his knee and it hyper-extended. It looked pretty painful but after a short time on the ground, Perry was being assisted off by the Packers medical staff.With Perry’s status uncertain, Kyler Fackrell looks to get the bulk of the reps. Fackrell has had a decent game so far racking up three tackles and a sack. In his limited snaps so far Womens Aaron Ripkowski Jersey , Fackrell has also been dropping into coverage and doing a good job guarding the flats.Perry was the third Packer to leave the game in the first half due to injury, joining safety Kentrell Brice (ankle) and offensive lineman Lucas Patrick (concussion). Both of those two players were ruled out for the remainder of the game.UPDATE: Perry was also ruled out of the game early in the fourth quarter. Clark is now under contract through 2020."What was assumed is now official: Kenny Clark will be a member of the Green Bay Packers for at least two more seasons.The Packers officially exercised their team option on Clark for a fifth season, according to a report from ESPN’s Field Yates early Tuesday morning. This comes a few days after general manager Brian Gutekunst indicated that he planned to execute this move. This provision is available to the Packers under the current collective bargaining agreement because Clark was a first-round draft pick. The team selected him 27th overall in 2016 out of UCLA.Clark emerged as a dominant force on the Packers’ line late in 2017 Womens Bart Starr Jersey , with 4.5 sacks over the final five games of the season. He then sustained that excellent play in 2018, recording six sacks with a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He was named as an alternate on the NFC Pro Bowl team this season as well.Because Clark was selected outside the top ten picks, the salary for the option year in 2020 is equal to the average of the third- through the 25th-highest salaries at the player’s position in 2019. Top-ten picks’ option salaries are equal to the transition tag amount for players at their position. Teams have until May 3rd to exercise these options.At present Dave Robinson Jersey White , the Packers’ other star defensive lineman, Mike Daniels, has a contract due to expire at the end of the 2019 season Womens Dean Lowry Jersey , as does the other current projected starter, Dean Lowry. Also in the mix for more playing time are Montravius Adams, Tyler Lancaster Marquez Valdes-Scantling Jersey , and Kingsley Keke, the latter having just been selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73593/deshawn-shead-jersey-white Wed, 31 Jul 2019 02:29:08 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73593/deshawn-shead-jersey-white Tuesday open thread: Grade the Robert Ayers signing A month ago Sam Martin Jersey , the Detroit Lions added Ricky Jean Francois to the team just before they opened for training camp. At the time, the move was considered fairly minor. While the Lions certainly needed help at defensive tackle, Francois was a guy that has played for several different teams over the past few years, and was considered on the decline at 31 years old.But Francois has looked five years younger in camp. He quickly assumed a starting role with the team, and has been one of the best players throughout the preseason. Throw in his desire to teach Matt Patricia’s defensive scheme to his peers, and Francois has turned out to be one of the most important additions the team has made this offseason.But on Monday, the Lions made another potentially big move. They added another veteran defensive lineman in Robert Ayers, and boy do they need the help. Having amassed just one sack in the preseason Womens Jake Rudock Jersey , it was abundantly clear that the Lions’ pass rush was in dire need of some change.So today’s Question of the Day is:What grade do you give the Robert Ayers signing?My answer: While it’s tough to give this addition a grade without knowing the exact contract terms—all we know is that it is a one-year deal per ESPN’s Adam Schefter—I’m going to give this move a B+ based on the talent of the soon-to-be 33 year old. Ayers’ statistics have been underwhelming for the past couple years. In his past 24 games, he only has 8.5 sacks.But by all means, those stats are fairly misleading. Ayers has been one of the most consistent pass rushers over the past two years, consistently helping the Buccaneers bring pressure from the edge. Just take it from Pro Football Focus’ Brett Whitefield:Admittedly, Ayers has had the benefit of playing alongside the likes of Gerald McCoy in Tampa and Jonathan Hankins and Jason Pierre Paul in New York—players much better than the teammates he’ll have in Detroit—but Ayers has proven he can bring the heat on his own, too.At this point in time, I’m not expecting Ayers to suddenly turn the Lions’ pass rush into a strength or anything that drastic, but it’s a clear upgrade of what the Lions had at defensive end DeShawn Shead Jersey White , and that’s not very easy to come by at this point in the offseason. Your turn. The Vikings aren’t in the playoffs just yet, but they’re getting close.Minnesota went to Detroit today, shook off a slow start and dominated for most of the game, winning 27-9 after falling behind 9-0.The win improves the Vikings’ record to 8-6-1 and means that if they beat the Bears next week, they’re in the playoffs. The Vikings also can reach the playoffs even if they lose next week, if they get some help. And the Vikings could catch a break, as the Bears might be resting their starters next week.The Lions, meanwhile Marvin Jones Jr Jersey White , are going nowhere. They’ve been a poorly coached team under Matt Patricia, who inherited the 9-7 club Jim Caldwell coached and is now at 5-10. Patricia’s job appears to be safe, but it’s fair to ask whether it should be. He’s done a lousy job.Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, however, has to like where his team is. Minnesota is 2-0 since making Kevin Stefanski the offensive coordinator, and the Vikings may just be a tough team to beat in January.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73493/brandon-dunn-jersey Mon, 29 Jul 2019 06:02:29 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73493/brandon-dunn-jersey HOUSTON 鈥?The Houston Texans are in a much different place now than the first time they faced the Indianapolis Colts this season Womens Nick Martin Jersey , when they were 0-3 and desperate for a win.Ka’imi Fairbairn made a field goal as time expired in overtime to lead the Texans to a 37-34 victory in that game and they haven’t lost since, reeling off a franchise-record nine straight wins entering Sunday’s rematch.The Texans led 28-10 in the third quarter in that first meeting before Andrew Luck threw three second-half touchdowns to rally the Colts and set up the wild finish.The Colts failed to convert a fourth-and-4 with 24 seconds left in overtime to give Fairbairn a chance to win it.“Being up 28-10 … and then letting them come back and being down in overtime and pulling through the adversity, it kind of slingshot us to where we are now,” Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson said.聽“That was one game where we went through all types of phases and situations that put us through this nine-game win streak. It was the start of everything.”Defensive end J.J. Watt said that Sept. 30 game seems as if it was a long time ago and noted how difficult it has been for the Texans to win in Indy, where they’re just 3-14 all time.“We needed one to get started. That was the one to get us started on this streak,” Watt said. “Bit of an unorthodox way to get it, but we got it. So, here we are.”The Texans (9-3) are coming off a 29-13 win over the Cleveland Browns while the Colts (6-6) were shut out 6-0 by the Jaguars last week to end a five-game winning streak.“The Jacksonville game was tough,” Luck said. “They outplayed us. There’s not much else to say about it. As a defense against our offense, they just flat outplayed us. … We took a good look at it and we’ll improve. I know we will.”TOUCHDOWN THOMASHouston rookie tight end Jordan Thomas has a knack for scoring with four touchdown catches despite having just 14 receptions this season. His four touchdown receptions are tied with Andre Johnson for second-most TD receptions by a rookie in franchise history. The 6-foot-6, 277-pound Thomas has been a favorite target of Watson’s in the red zone; all of his scores聽have come on catches of 13 yards or less.NEW BALANCECoach Frank Reich has stressed the need to find balance since he took the Colts’ job in February.When these teams met previously Brandon Dunn Jersey , Luck set single-game franchise records with 40 completions and 62 attempts and became the 11th player in league history to throw for 450 yards and four TDs. He wound up with 464 yards, second in franchise history, and four scores.Since then, an improved ground game helped lessen the burden on Luck’s arm 鈥?until last week, when he threw 52 passes, including 14 straight during one stretch, in the loss to Jacksonville. Don’t expect the Colts to be so one-dimensional in Houston.“You never want to have to drop back and pass it 52 times,” offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said. “We always want to run it more. Just in that scenario, the way we were running it, we had some plays on our call sheet that we felt were going to be good to hit, some chunks in the pass game Womens Deshaun Watson Jersey , and that’s the way we went.”THE BIG DHouston also will see a different defense.After allowing an average of 30 points over their first six games, the Colts cut that number to 16.8 points over the past six. Indy is the only team to have forced at least one turnover in every game this season and is second in the league in tackles for loss (71.0). Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard leads the league in tackles (122) and is tied for fourth in forced fumbles (four).First-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus sees it as a good start.“We feel we have set the standard of how we want to play in terms of the style. Now we just need to execute on a consistent basis and just keep doing that week in and week out,” he said. “There are a lot of things that we have to improve on, but we have come a long way.”DEANDRE’S ARTOn a TV show this week, Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis said the way DeAndre Hopkins catches a football “is an art.” The Houston star agrees.“There’s more to it than just going out and catching a football,” he said. “There’s a lot of factors that go on before that. It’s for sure an art, and repetition makes perfect.”Hopkins routinely makes nearly impossible catches look run of the mill, and Watson has said he believes Hopkins will catch anything聽thrown his way. His latest nifty catch came last week against the Browns on a 24-yard reception near the sideline that came after T.J. Carrie grabbed his dreadlocks to try聽to slow him down.Hopkins knows that he makes it look easy, but wanted to make clear that it is not.“It’s harder than people think,” he said. “Especially like me, I usually have a defender on me or close to me http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-tashaun-gipson-jersey , so catching the football isn’t easy for me like it is for some people who are wide open. It’s a challenge for me to play through that and still catch it.”100View Gallery Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans, local sports, and news from around the league for Tuesday, January 29, 2019."Houston Texans NewsTexans assistant Wes Welker interviews with Packers, 49ers (Houston Chronicle)Texans’ Duke Ejiofor (Alief Taylor) ‘learned a lot’ as a rookie (Houston Chronicle)NFL NewsRobey-Coleman clarifies remark on ‘G.O.A.T.’ Brady (NFL.com)Retirement one of the ‘last things’ on Gronk’s mind (NFL.com)McCourty: SB LIII could be last game if Patriots win (NFL.com)Patriots DC Flores won’t talk about Dolphins future (NFL.com)Sights, sounds from Super Bowl LIII Opening Night (NFL.com)Aaron Donald: Los Angeles is ‘a football town now’ (NFL.com)Sports’ best rivalry? Why L.A. vs. Boston matters (NFL.com)Wyche: The man behind the Rams’ roster of stars (NFL.com)Ranking all 52 Super Bowls: Patriots own top 10 (NFL.com)Houston & Collegiate SportsMarquese Chriss requests trade (The Dream Shake)Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game preview (The Dream Shake)]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73490/jarrad-davis-jersey Mon, 29 Jul 2019 03:02:40 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73490/jarrad-davis-jersey P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst wasted little time providing the inside pass rush that Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden wanted when he used two draft picks on the defensive tackles.Hall delivered on his first snap as a pro White Amani Oruwariye Jersey , bringing down Detroit's Matt Cassel in the exhibition opener. Hurst got pressure twice with one of those leading to Hall deflecting a pass by Cassel.That's an ingredient that has been sorely missing in Oakland for years and will go a long way toward upgrading a defense that hopes to be much improved in the first year under Gruden and coordinator Paul Guenther."I was pleased with it," Gruden said Monday. "I think it's an area that we've gone out to try to improve and we have a long way to go. But, there were some good signs."The Raiders drafted Hall in the second round after he recorded 42 sacks in his college career at FCS-level Sam Houston State. Oakland then was able to add another potential impact rusher in the fifth round when Hurst fell from a projected first-round pick because of a heart issue that led him to be sent home from the combine.Hurst was one of the most productive defensive players in the country last season at Michigan. He had 5陆 sacks as an interior rusher and led all nose tackles and defensive tackles with 49 total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.Hurst has had no health issues since being drafted and delivered just what the Raiders expected."He's going to continue to get better," Gruden said. "I think going up against (Kelechi) Osemele and Gabe Jackson and (Rodney) Hudson all camp has made him better. It's made him stronger. It's made him play with better technique and leverage. He still has a ways to go but he and P.J. Hall both give us an element that we need here."The Raiders have the second-fewest sacks in the NFL the past two seasons with just 56 — one more than the last-place New York Jets. Nearly two-thirds of those sacks have come from Khalil Mack (21 1/2) and Bruce Irvin (15), as the edge players have gotten almost no help from the inside rushers.Oakland had just 1 1/2 sacks last year from players playing inside full-time, making the performance in the preseason opener so encouraging.Hall's sack came on the opening drive when Cassel was forced to step up in the pocket because of outside pressure by Irvin and Fadol Brown. Hall figures more of those opportunities will come, especially once Mack ends his holdout and rejoins the team."I definitely feel that will help a lot Frank Ragnow Jersey ," he said. "He's a great edge rusher. He will make the quarterbacks step up in the pocket so I need to make sure I get a good interior rush."The interior rush is a key part of Guenther's defense. He had one of the best in the game at it during his time in Cincinnati when Geno Atkins anchored the Bengals defense.Hurst said he has tried to model his game after Atkins and embraces the challenge of trying to fill that role in Oakland."Definitely gets me amped up," he said. "The Bengals, their best player was their 3-technique, so that's the focal point of their defense and that's what Coach Guenther is used to getting. That's what he's got his whole time in the NFL. He drafted Geno, so I think it says something to him for drafting me and P.J. I think he definitely expects a lot from us and expects us to fill that role that he had while he was with the Bengals."NOTES: CB Gareon Conley returned to practice for the first time since injuring his hip on the first day of training camp. ... CB Daryl Worley left practice after colliding with teammate Rashaan Melvin. Time to gloat."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsNFL DraftNFL Open ThreadsSunday open thread: What was your best NFL Draft prediction?New,47commentsTime to gloat. EDTShareTweetShareShareSunday open thread: What was your best NFL Draft prediction?Jerry Lai-USA TODAY SportsOn Saturday, we all repented and confessed our most shameful NFL Draft misses. Plenty of people modestly admitted some of the draft scouting mistakes they’ve made in the past. Poor Aaron Curry lovers faced the music yesterday and offered us a reminder of just how bad we can all be at this prediction stuff.But now you’ve all earned yourself some gloating time. Now it’s time to go to the other end of the spectrum. Strut your stuff, because there is nothing better than pounding the table for someone—especially when everyone else is calling you an idiot—and to have your opinion proven true on draft day and beyond.So today’s Question of the Day is:What NFL Draft prediction/scouting report did you absolutely nail? My answer: I’ll admit that when I do my draft prep Jarrad Davis Jersey , I try not to get too high or low on a guy, and I’d rather do the grunt work of the research after the picks were made. That being said, I occasionally still fall in love with a player. Back in 2014, it was Anthony Barr. His college film was flashy, his production was outstanding, and the rumors of his character were nearly flawless. But there were certainly some risks involved. When I chose Barr for the Lions in the Community Mock Draft (yes, I skipped over Aaron Donald, too) T.J. Hockenson Detroit Lions Jersey , y’all let me know in the comment section.It was too early. Mike Evans was the easy pick here. He won’t make an immediate impact. One-trick pony. You can go get Kyle Van Noy in the second (That’s an actual comment here). In reality, Barr ended up going before the Lions were even on the clock. He made a big impact in his rookie year (12 starts, 70 tackles, 4.0 sacks). He’s lived up to his draft status (four Pro Bowls). And he’s anything but a one-trick pony. He’s managed to earn the reputation of being one of the best off-ball linebacker without gaudy sack numbers (13.5 in five years). Barr isn’t your annual All Pro player that is recognized as one of the best to ever play the game or anything, but he’s a solid player that was well worth the Vikings’ ninth overall pick. He remains one of my biggest draft “wins.”Your turn.Tweets from https://twitter.com/PrideOfDetroit/lists/lions-coverage]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73270/cheap-kadar-hollman-jersey Fri, 26 Jul 2019 03:08:39 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73270/cheap-kadar-hollman-jersey CHICAGO 鈥斅燤itchell Trubisky聽threw for two touchdowns Ka'dar Hollman Jersey 2019 ,聽Eddie Jackson聽ended聽Aaron Rodgers’ NFL-record streak without an interception and the聽Chicago Bears聽clinched the NFC North with a 24-17 victory over the聽Green Bay Packers聽on Sunday.Packers CoveragePackers at Bears to open 2019 scheduleTop Tweets: Brewers make hilarious ‘Mean Girls’ parody videoMatthews signs with Rams after 10 years with PackersPackers re-sign tight end Marcedes LewisTop Tweets: Nikola Mirotic loves being a Milwaukee BuckGrades for Packers early moves in 2019 NFL free agencyPackers make big splash in free agencyPackers’ Gutekunst making free agency pretty funPackers clear cap space, release LB Nick PerryFree-agent frenzy: DE Smith, S Amos, OL Turner to sign with PackersThe Bears (10-4) secured their first playoff appearance since the 2010 team won the NFC North, and clinching with a rare victory over their heated rivals made it all the more sweet.The loss coupled with Minnesota’s 41-17 victory over Miami keeps the Packers out of the postseason for the second year in a row.Chicago had dropped nine of 10 against Green Bay (5-8-1). But the Bears secured their first trip to the playoffs in eight years with their seventh win in eight games.For a team that came into the season with four straight last-place finishes, it’s quite a turnaround. But with the hiring of coach Matt Nagy and trade for聽Khalil Mack聽in a busy offseason, the Bears made a huge jump.“We’ve accomplished a lot,” Trubisky said. “But I think I’m most proud of just the type of guy that we have in our locker room, the culture that we’ve kind of created. We know that nobody really believed in us on the outside in the preseason 鈥?or even throughout the season. But we knew what type of team we had. And we knew we were just gonna keep getting better every single week.”Trubisky gave them a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter with a 13-yard pass to聽Trey Burton聽in the left side of the end zone.After stopping the Packers Preston Smith Jersey ,聽Tarik Cohen聽returned a punt 44 yards to the 15. But he stepped out of bounds a yard short on a third-and-5 at the 10 when he easily could have gotten the first down.That forced the Bears to settle for a field goal by聽Cody Parkey, making it 24-14 with 6:43 remaining.The Packers then drove to the 9, but on third down, Jackson picked off Rodgers, ending his streak at 402 passes.The throw over the middle was intended for聽Jimmy Graham聽near the goal line. But the ball got tipped to Jackson, who had to be helped off the field with a sprained right ankle after his leg bent awkwardly as he tried to slide on the return. The interception was his sixth of the season.Mason Crosby聽kicked a field goal in the closing seconds to make it a seven-point game. But Chicago recovered the onside kick.The Packers are 1-1 since offensive coordinator Joe Philbin replaced fired coach Mike McCarthy on an interim basis.“The expectation is competing for championships,” Rodgers said. “It’s a good football team. But like I told some of the guys, I look forward to the battles over the years. I like our chances in this division moving forward.”Mack had 2陆 sacks and聽Leonard Floyd聽added two. The defense came through with another strong effort after the Monsters of the Midway shut down聽Jared Goff聽and the NFC West champion聽Los Angeles Rams聽the previous week.Trubisky was 20 of 28 for 235 yards with a 120.4 rating. It was a big improvement over the previous week when he matched a career high with three interceptions after missing back-to-back games because of a right shoulder injury.Cohen caught a touchdown pass.聽Jordan Howard聽ran for a TD, and the Bears improved to 7-1 at home for the first time since 2005.“Understanding situational football Color Rush Ka'dar Hollman Jersey , understanding what we were going against,” Mack said. “Guys grinded, gritted it out, especially toward the end. We just want to keep this feeling going.”Rodgers said his groin tightened on him throwing a desperation pass at the end of the first half. He finished 25 of 42 for 274 yards with his second interception of the season and failed to throw a touchdown for the first time this year.Davante Adams聽had eight receptions for 119 yards.The Packers fell to 0-7 on the road with their ninth straight loss away from home, and their eight-game win streak at Soldier Field, counting the postseason, came to an end.INJURIES:Packers: RT聽Bryan Bulaga聽(knee) missed his second game in a row, while DL聽Kenny Clark聽sat out with an elbow injury. … RB聽Aaron Jones聽left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter. … WR聽Randall Cobb聽was evaluated for a concussion following a hard hit by Jackson late in the game.Bears: LB聽Aaron Lynch聽left with an elbow injury in the third quarter. He walked off the field clutching his right arm after he was hurt fighting a block on a run by聽Jamaal Williams.UP NEXTPackers: Visit New York Jets on Dec. 23.Bears: Visit San Francisco on Dec. 23. In the past two weeks, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has recorded two of his three highest single-game passing yardage totals in his NFL career. Monday night’s 425-yard performance came eight days after he threw for 442 yards in a loss to the Detroit Lions; meanwhile Cheap Ka'dar Hollman Jersey , both of those games come in behind a 480-yard day he put up against Washington in 2013.Unlike the game in Detroit, however, Monday’s game came with a notch in the win column, as Rodgers’ efforts helped the Packers come back in the fourth quarter for a 33-30 victory. On Thursday, the NFL named Rodgers the FedEx Air Player of the Week for week six, joining Ground Player of the Week Todd Gurley. In total, Rodgers completed 25 of 46 passes for those 425 yards, throwing a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions.(Note that another ball thrown by Rodgers ended in a touchdown, but because his pass to Ty Montgomery was ruled to be a lateral Ka'dar Hollman Jersey Womens , it went in the stat sheet as a rushing attempt instead of a pass.)Gurley also won the NFC’s award for Offensive Player of the week, edging out Rodgers thanks to 208 yards and two touchdowns on the ground plus a pair of receptions for 17 yards.This was Rodgers’ second nomination for this award this year, as he was also up for the honor after the Packers’ comeback on Sunday Night Football in week one. However, he came up short in the voting for that game, as the Buccaneers’ Ryan Fitzpatrick won out with over 400 yards and four touchdown passes. According to our research, the last time Rodgers won this award was in week 16 of the 2016 season, when he threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-25 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73257/womens-ray-nitschke-jersey Fri, 26 Jul 2019 02:33:11 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73257/womens-ray-nitschke-jersey By the numbers White Ty Summers Jersey , Jordy Nelson and Jimmy Graham have been pretty close to the same player the last two seasons. Deceiving though the stats may be, what they tell us isn’t that the Green Bay Packers made a mistake by letting Nelson go, but rather that neither player were likely good options for this offense in 2018 and beyond. We shouldn’t conflate the plan to move on from Jordy Nelson with the plan to pay Jimmy Graham. Even though they happened within mere hours of one another, featured Pro Bowl pass catchers, and were linked all year, they can’t be viewed as a singular move. They weren’t then and their repercussions on this team likewise aren’t linked moving forward as Brian Gutekunst looks to improve the Packers this offseason. When the Packers decided to move on from Nelson, even the biggest Jordy fans understood why. The pricetag was too high and his physical skills clearly waned. he wasn’t particularly useful with Brett Hundley and if one’s usefulness is tied solely to playing with Aaron Rodgers, then that player may not actually be that useful. The acrimony came when Nelson intimated he would have been open to returning at a much lower salary number, but the Packers offered what was deemed an embarrassing contract (likely the veteran minimum or something close to it) and fans coalesced behind this slight. How could Green Bay treat one of its heroes this way? This too isn’t the point, nor is it the problem. Davante Adams was clearly ready to assume the mantle of lead dog in this passing game. Geronimo Allison was leading the Packers in receiving in 2018 before an injury robbed him of his season, but he was on his way to rewarding the faith this Packers coaching staff and front office put in him. Randall Cobb came into the season in a contract year and clearly the front office had the notion of wanting to get younger, more athletic players into the stable of pass catchers. After all, they drafted three of them. And while it would be easy to say “Yeah, after they cut Nelson,” it’s likely the Packers made the Nelson move at least in part knowing they had every intention of going young, bigger, and faster in the draft. Plenty of Nelson fans and general Packer fan cynics will not be convinced by this, but the reality is Nelson wasn’t good with the Packers in 2017 (9.1 yards per catch with the lowest catch % of his career), and he wasn’t much better for the Raiders despite Oakland trading away its best pass catcher midseason. In fact, Nelson was so ineffective, Jon Gruden built the passing game around another former Green Bay castoff: Jared Cook. Even if we assume Aaron Rodgers would have been an upgrade over Derek Carr (hardly a big assumption) Davante Adams Jersey , Nelson simply not longer possesses the physical capabilities of being a down-to-down factor for this or any good passing offense. Green Bay could not have foreseen losing two of their top three receivers for more than half a season each, and clearly did not predict the stagnation of Mike McCarthy’s offensive scheme. It’s not just possible, but likely the injuries to Allison and Cobb, as well as the loss of Nelson would have been mitigated in the hands of a more innovative offensive coach. Putting rookies in an offense where they don’t have to win isolation routes or show preternatural connection with their quarterback would have provided them better opportunities to succeed, given the estimable physical tools of guys like Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. If it takes ESP to make the offense work, it might not be an offense worth trying to make work. That’s clearly the decision the front office ultimately made. Cutting down the lag time between when Rodgers got to start building a connection with these younger receivers, old offense or new, should serve as a boon for this offense moving forward. If the Packers had kept Nelson one more season, Green Bay would be staring at a season of incredible upheaval and the assimilation of myriad new weapons into an entirely new offense. The real issue with the decision to move on from Nelson wasn’t believing they were better off long-term without him, but rather deciding to overpay to replace his production with Jimmy Graham. Green Bay handed out three-year $30 million deal with more than $13 million in Year 1 going to Graham, making him the most expensive tight end in football for 2018. Some observers, this author included, suggested given Nelson’s skillset at this point in his career, Graham could essentially replace the third down and red zone ability. Graham produced inconsistently in 2018 to put it mildly, even going so far as to admit he hasn’t done much to help the team. But when two tight ends come out this offseason and say the McCarthy offense isn’t set up for the tight end, it’s worth wondering why Gutekunst thought this was money well spent. It’s likewise possible McCarthy simply showed no interest in consistently finding ways to get Graham involved, but either way this is an unmistakable failure. He failed to show up in contested catch and adversity situations, one of the areas in which he had been stellar for much of his career thanks to a background in basketball. Graham dropped simple passes, didn’t give effort in the run game, and although he was wildly miscast by Mike McCarthy in this offense, simply didn’t come anywhere near producing at a level worthy of that money. It felt like good process at the time. The receiver market exploded with guys like Albert Wilson Ray Nitschke Jersey White , Taylor Gabriel and Paul Richardson getting huge paydays, contracts they would never be able to match with on-field production. Green Bay needed someone to get open on third down and in the red zone like Nelson. They needed a good tight end. That’s what they tried to get with Graham, they just didn’t get it. Of the 53 players who saw at least 83 targets last season, no player produced fewer yards per route run than Graham, but Nelson was tied for 43rd despite being a more featured part of his team’s offense. In fact, just seven tight ends saw that many targets in their offense, including Graham and Nelson’s teammate Cook. Cook finished 26th in yards per route run, ahead of players like Stefon Diggs and Alshon Jeffery.Taking a swing on Graham was good process in some ways, but a poor outcome. They made a logical bet, just on the wrong horse. Furthermore, we must disentangle the two moves, separating the decision to move on from Nelson with the big-money move to add Graham. Though they are related, they are not one move and while one was likely the prudent choice, the other was hardly a success. What the last two seasons for these two players showed wasn’t that the Packers erred in dropping Nelson in favor of Graham; it’s believing Graham was a superior option and worth the top-of-market tight end money. This is borne out in how the Packers look to attack the 2019 offseason. They’re not looking for a boundary receiver to make catches on third downs or the red zone like Nelson. They realized they have some really talented players on the roster for that. What they need is a reliable tight end with some blocking ability who can make plays over the middle of the field. In other words, Green Bay found suitable replacements for Nelson as a receiver, but Graham failed to offer that which the team believed it was getting when he signed. That, in this exchange, represents the clear and obvious failure. Matt LaFleur’s offense should be much more tight end friendly, but it’s not at all clear the Packers want that tight end to be Graham. A scheme change should further mitigate the loss of Nelson, but likely won’t make the Graham contract look any better, leaving Gutekunst and the Packers to once again stare down a revamped tight end room. First they must look in the mirror to realize the Graham move was a mistake Aaron Rodgers Jersey White , one that must now be put in the rearview mirror. The hiring of the long-time veteran’s former coordinator in Jacksonville could make a Lewis-Packers reunion possible."As the Green Bay Packers watch the NFC Championship Game from home this January, they do so with some optimism.There will be plenty of continuity on defense with the return of Mike Pettine to the coaching staff, while a fresh offensive system may give the unit its necessary jump-start. An integral part of the offense next season will be the emergence of skill position players. Between slot receivers, tight ends, and running backs, the Packers will not only be looking to add impact athletes but better scheme around the ones they already have.Today’s musings look into the last time Green Bay had three top-45 draft selections to help with acquiring such talent, while taking a look at the possible return of a forgotten tight end.The Packers are in rare air with three relatively high draft picks.Much has been made about Green Bay owning a second first-round pick in the 2018 draft, but it has been a long time since the Packers have had three selections before pick 45. In fact, the last time was 1980. However, it was not an unusual occurrence for the Packers to have such an advantageous slate of picks in the decade leading up to it. While Green Bay has not been overly lucky in these instances as seen below, it did net one future Hall of Famer. The franchise is hoping for more of a 2017 New Orleans Saints-like draft this April to get back to winning ways.Most Recent Packers Draft History with Three Top-45 selectionsYearPick 1Pick 2Pick 3YearPick 1Pick 2Pick 3Could Marcedes Lewis be back in a green and gold uniform next season?After just three catches on four targets in 2018, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Lewis would be finding a home elsewhere in the offseason. But with the appointing of Lewis’ former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to the same post in Green Bay, the door for an exceptional in-line blocker like Lewis cracked back open. As APC’s Peter Bukowski recently tweeted, there could be a fit for Lewis on the Packers next season if he is willing to return. He might even be a better fit now than he appeared to be when he signed last offseason, given the Packers’ few tight ends under contract and Lewis’ experience with Hackett’s offensive philosophy. Michael Cohen of The Athletic also mentioned that the teacher and pupil have remained in touch. If the Packers retain Jimmy Graham and Lewis, it would give the team an opportunity to groom an eventual heir at the position, such as one of Iowa’s all-around duo of Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson.Plan on having a strong cold-weather running game next seasonPersonally, I have been clamoring for the Packers to add a speedy, scat back for years. And after watching 2018 playoff teams employ dynamic, undersized playmakers out of the backfield like Darren Sproles, Tyreek Hill Womens Ray Nitschke Jersey , Tarik Cohen, and to some extent Alvin Kamara, I remain intrigued by the possibility of acquiring the type of player Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy really never sought out. However, if the recent backs utilized by Hackett and Matt LaFleur are any indication, expect the Packers to be more inclined to grind it out with their running backs.Hackett’s main backs in Jacksonville as the OC were Leonard Fournette and Chris Ivory, and LaFleur also employed backs with power. LaFleur’s system was noticeably effective with both Todd Gurley and Derrick Henry. Gurley jumped from 885 yards, six touchdowns, and 3.2 yards per carry in 2016 to 1,305 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 4.7 yards per carry in 2017, LaFleur’s lone season as offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. That kind of instant production was not an outlier. In his single season with Tennessee, LaFleur helped Derrick Henry emerge from being a change-of-pace back to a game-changer. In his third season, Henry almost doubled his yardage on the ground from his first two years combined, while posting his highest average per carry (4.7). His 12 touchdowns in 2018 also was a giant leap from his five scores in each of the two prior seasons.LaFleur’s influence in the running game should be favorable for Aaron Jones, who was an all-too-often covered-up weapon. But perhaps Jamaal Williams should be equally excited due to his physical running style. As the weather gets colder next fall, expect the Packers to run with a purpose.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73241/kerry-hyder-jersey Fri, 26 Jul 2019 02:00:42 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73241/kerry-hyder-jersey The Philadelphia Eagles claimed cornerback Cre’von LeBlanc off waivers from the Detroit Lions on Monday.To clear a roster spot T.J. Jones Jersey , the Eagles waived veteran cornerback Dexter McDougle. Since the trade deadline has passed, all players must clear waivers before becoming a free agent.LeBlanc was waived by the Lions on Saturday to make room for the activation of wide receiver Andy Jones from the physically unable to perform list.LeBlanc had appeared in three games for the Lions this season, recording three tackles. He appeared in 28 games with 10 starts for the Chicago Bears over the previous two seasons. The Bears waived LeBlanc at the end of training camp and he signed with the Lions practice squad before being promoted to the active roster.McDougle played in two games with one start for the Eagles this season recording five tackles and a pass defended. He also played eight games for Philadelphia last season. He’s appeared in 31 career games for the Eagles, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. Which game on the Lions’ 2019 schedule should be most appealing to fans?The NFL schedule dropped on Wednesday night Kerry Hyder Jersey , and fans are already counting their favorite team’s win total for the 2019 season. Of course, it’s way too early to think about that sort of thing considering the NFL Draft hasn’t even taken place yet, but there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a little fun, as long as you acknowledge that predictions carry little value this time of year.What the NFL schedule does bring Zach Zenner Jersey , however, is a set of possible viewing dates for live football. Detroit Lions fans won’t be treated to any home primetime games this year (unless they’re flexed into a Sunday night game later in the season), but that doesn’t mean there are no good games to attend this year. So today’s Question of the Day is:Which game on the Lions’ 2019 schedule would be the best to see live?My answer: It has to be Monday night against the Green Bay Packers.Lambeau Field is currently at the top of my list of NFL stadiums I need to see, and what better way to experience it than on a Monday night in mid-October when Quandre Diggs Jersey , hopefully, the weather isn’t unfathomably cold. Add in the fact that it’s early enough in the season where both teams should still be in contention, and the conditions are perfect. Your turn.Tweets from https://twitter.com/PrideOfDetroit/lists/lions-coverage]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73227/jessie-bates-iii-jersey-white Fri, 26 Jul 2019 01:23:45 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73227/jessie-bates-iii-jersey-white CLEVELAND (AP) — No awkward hug. No cold handshake. No holiday greeting.Baker Mayfield's only interaction with former coach Hue Jackson was an icy stare.Mayfield threw three touchdown passes to thrill a sellout Josh Malone Jersey White , holiday-spirited crowd that came out to boo Jackson, and rookie Nick Chubb ran for 112 yard as the Cleveland Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-18 on Sunday to sweep their southern Ohio neighbors for the first time since 2002. "Quite honestly, I couldn't care about what happened in the past," Mayfield said. "It is about this year and we won. We are moving forward."The No. 1 pick in this year's draft continued his stellar rookie season, one that took off after Jackson was fired by the Browns on Oct. 29. Mayfield has thrown 24 TD passes, third most in NFL history by a rookie and just two shy of the record shared by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.With their fifth win in six games, the Browns (7-7-1) improved to 5-2 under interim coach Gregg Williams, who has gone from long shot to legitimate candidate to become Cleveland's next coach. It's only the second time since 2007 that the Browns have won at least seven games.The Bengals (6-9) http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-mark-walton-jersey , on the other hand, are disintegrating under coach Marvin Lewis. They lost for the sixth time in seven games and are assured of finishing last in the AFC North, a spot the Browns have occupied every season since 2011.Cincinnati made it interesting as Jeff Driskel threw two TD passes in a two-minute stretch to get the Bengals close.However, Mayfield connected with tight end David Njoku for 66 yards just before the two-minute warning and the Browns ran out the clock.Following the long completion, Mayfield jogged past Jackson standing on the sideline and stared at his former coach, whom he called "fake" after their matchup last month in Cincinnati.Mayfield playfully denied he was showing up Jackson."I have no idea what you're talking about," he said.Told that the exchange was blowing up on social media, Mayfield said Womens Clint Boling Jersey , "That's all right. We won."Lewis spent little time discussing what went wrong, holding a news conference that lasted just over a minute."We came into this season thinking, ‘We can win this division,'" Driskel said. "You have to look at yourself and ask, ‘What can I do to prevent this next week or next season?'"Mayfield has Browns fans convinced there are glory days ahead. He challenged Clevelanders to fill FirstEnergy Stadium for the home finale, and they did show with a surge in ticket sales this week.The Browns were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday. That hardly dampened the enthusiasm around a team that has recovered from a 0-16 season and become one of the league's best stories in 2018.Mayfield's the main reason.In the fourth quarter, fans chanted "Ba-ker, Ba-ker" after he scampered 10 yards. Moments later Tyler Boyd Jersey White , they were roaring again after Mayfield stretched to reach for a first down before being shoved hard out of bounds by defensive end Carlos Dunlap, triggering a sideline skirmish near Cleveland's bench."It has been a good run," Mayfield said. "Obviously, we would love to be in the playoffs, but like I said earlier in the year, you know that you have to go through some tough times to see the brighter end of it."NO PASSING GRADEDriskel, making his fourth start for the injured Andy Dalton, was sacked three times and under duress all day. He completed two passes for 3 yards in the first half http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-joe-mixon-jersey , when the Bengals had minus-15 yards passing.TRICK AND TREATBrowns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens went into his bag of tricks to set up Cleveland's second TD. On first down, the Browns ran a pass off a reverse with wide receiver Jarvis Landry threading a 63-yard pass — the ball traveled more than 50 yards in the air — to Breshad Perriman. Two plays later, Mayfield rolled right and found just enough space to throw a scoring pass to Darren Fells."I need to ice up my shoulder," joked Landry.ROOKIE RECORDChubb and set the franchise rookie rushing record for a season, previously held by Trent Richardson.STELLAR STARTMayfield has thrown at least one TD pass in each of his 12 starts. He trails only St. Louis' Kurt Warner (23 from 1999-00) and Minnesota's Brad Johnson (15 from 1996-97) for the most consecutive starts with a scoring pass to begin a career.MIXON MILESTONEBengals running back Joe Mixon came in leading the AFC in yards rushing and attempts and needing 5 yards to reach 1,000. He got them on his first carry, a 6-yard run in the first quarter. Mixon is the first Cincinnati back to reach the plateau since Jeremy Hill (2014).INJURIESBengals: LB Vontaze Burfict played most of the first half before going out with a concussion. He came in listed as questionable with a head injury that forced him to miss practice. … Starting CB Dre Kirkpatrick hurt his right shoulder in the first quarter and did not return.Browns: Pro Bowl rookie cornerback Denzel Ward is back in concussion protocol after getting hurt in the fourth quarter. Ward had just returned after missing the previous two games with a head injury.UP NEXTBengals: At Pittsburgh on Sunday.Browns: Finish season at Baltimore on Sunday. The Bengals have lost five of their last six games and they’re coming off a lopsided loss to the Browns that appeared to feature some players giving less than full effort as the clock ran out.Running back Joe Mixon pushed back against anyone who might be inclined to start slowing things down because of the negative trajectory that the season has taken in Cincinnati. Mixon said Thursday that his teammates need to give everything they have for every minute of the game “or you might as well stay in the locker room.”“You’re going to know who is going to let up and [who will] go play 100 percent,” Mixon said Jessie Bates III Jersey White , via the . “You’re going to know who’s shutting it down. At the end of the day, it’s how bad do you want it? Either go out and give it 100 or stay home. Don’t show up.”The Bengals host the Broncos on Sunday in a game between 5-6 teams that will leave the loser with really long playoff odds. If that’s not enough to spur full effort from the Bengals, it’s hard to imagine anything that could raise the effort level to the place it needs to be.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73010/womens-joel-heath-jersey Wed, 24 Jul 2019 03:46:58 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/73010/womens-joel-heath-jersey HOUSTON (AP) — With the defense forcing a season-high four turnovers Womens Lamar Miller Jersey , the Houston Texans extended their winning streak to nine games with a win over the Browns.But as good as the unit has been, the Texans believe they can get much better down the stretch with the first test coming on Sunday against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.“We can tackle better,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “I think we can communicate better. I think there’s a lot of things that we can improve on in all three phases, but I think they’re playing hard. They’re playing with really good effort.”That effort was highlighted on Sunday when rookie safety Justin Reid chased down Antonio Callaway after a long catch and forced a fumble just before he crossed the goal line to prevent a touchdown.It was just the latest big play for the third-round pick, who helped Houston to a 23-21 victory over Washington on Nov. 18 by returning an interception 101 yards for a touchdown.“He’s really improved every week,” O’Brien said. “He really works hard to improve. He’s a very smart guy, works very hard in practice Womens Keke Coutee Jersey , instinctive player, good speed, good size. He’s come a long way. He really understands the importance of practice and he tries to get better every day.”Reid’s emergence illustrates the fact that Houston’s defense has succeeded this year because it has received important contributions from several players. While the return of three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and the solid play of 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney has led the unit, the Texans have also seen plenty of other players step up to make big plays as they’ve piled up win after win.On Sunday, Andre Hal had one of three interceptions of Baker Mayfield. It was the first interception of the year for Hal, who missed the first six games of the season recovering from cancer after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in May.Zach Cunningham made another big play for the defense when the second-year player grabbed his first career interception and returned it for a touchdown against the Browns.“You’re always looking to try to figure out, as you get ready for the next team D.J. Reader Jersey , what does this individual player need to improve on,” O’Brien said. “What does this unit need to improve on? What does the team need to improve on? What do I need to improve on? I think that’s been a big theme for us and our players are doing a good job of taking that to heart.”The Texans are also careful not to get too caught up in the streak. They know that if they don’t focus on their next opponent that things could go wrong quickly.“I don’t even think about it anymore,” 13-year veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph said of the winning streak. “It’s almost boring to talk about because … it doesn’t really mean anything. We have to go out and play the next game whether we’re on a win streak or we lost the week before. So, it’s all good for everything other than the people in this locker room because if we buy into it too much that’s when we get smacked in the face.”Houston is allowing the third-fewest points in the NFL (19.6), ranks 10th in yards allowed (341.5) and its rush defense ranks fifth by allowing just 91.3 yards rushing a game.This week the group will face a team that is averaging more than 27 points and 377 yards a game. Indianapolis scored 34 points in an overtime loss to Houston in Week 4 where Luck threw for a season-high 464 yards with four touchdowns.“He can make every throw,” defensive back Kareem Jackson said. “He can definitely buy time for guys to get open so … with him you know a play is never over. So we’ve definitely got to be (solid) in coverage and play to the whistle.” Here are some post free agency mock drafts to read up on."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁?019 NFL Draft2019 Houston Texans Offseason2019 NFL Free Agency2019 NFL Mock Drafts:POST Free AgencyNew,61commentsHere are some post free agency mock drafts to read up on. CDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Mock Drafts:POST Free AgencyBrian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsFree agency is kind of sort of over. The big money has been thrown around. The top talent has been devoured. There are scraps sitting around Womens Joel Heath Jersey , the buy low deals, the value buys. And with the end of the first wave of free agency has come a new wave of mock drafts that take in account free agency decisions from last week. First off, we have one from Danny Kelly at The Ringer. This is my favorite mock draft so far by the way. I’ve waited 19 years to call a NFL player Greedy Fly. Only 99.5 KISS San Antonio denizens understand. Make up your mind. I need some help. To find this mind.Josh Norris at Rotoworld took a stab at it as well. He has the Texans selecting, you guessed it, an offensive tackle.At least this time it’s a different offensive tackle than we usually see in the fake 2019 NFL Drafts. Dan Kadar of SB Nation’s Mocking The Draft has the Texans selecting an offensive tackle as well.Some dude named Ben Standing at NBC Sports Washington wrote one. I like it because it once again has the Texans selecting a cornerback. What do you think about these imaginary selections? Do you want to see Houston draft a tackle or a cornerback in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft next month?]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72819/womens-jon-weeks-jersey Mon, 22 Jul 2019 06:00:55 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72819/womens-jon-weeks-jersey Just over a year ago Womens Kendall Lamm Jersey , Rick Smith took a leave of absence from his role as General Manager of the Houston Texans to tend to his wife, Tiffany, as she battled breast cancer.Smith released a statement on Thursday evening that Tiffany had lost her fight.“Tiffany Avery Smith my wife of 17 years, passed away today at 12:00 noon, after a fierce battle with Breast Cancer,” Smith said, via ABC 13. “She was beautiful, courageous, and a wonderful wife and mother. I was honored to be her husband and I loved her dearly. My family and I, are in such gratitude for the outpouring of love and support we have received during her course of treatments. Thank you for your prayers, well wishes Womens Ibraheim Campbell Jersey , dinners, rides to school, and all the many gestures of love and support we’ve received during this time. We are blessed to be in this community. God bless you all.”The Texans announced Rick Smith was taking a leave of absence of New Year’s Eve of 2017. Smith and Texans head coach Bill O’Brien had also butted heads over decisions made by the team leading up to Smith’s leave. The Texans hired Brian Gaine to take over the G.M. duties with Smith unavailable for the foreseeable future.The Texans also released a statement upon learning of Tiffany’s passing.“My family and the entire Houston Texans organization are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tiffany Smith,” chairman and CEO Cal McNair said. “She was a loving mother, wife, and a strong force for good in the Houston community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rick, their three children and the entire Smith family.” Not much to see here, move along..."(Disclaimer: at this point in the NFL’s league year things may change before this post sees publication鈥?The natives are getting restless in H-Town, primarily because the Houston Texans “addition by subtraction” approach to the first day of the free agent tampering period is doing more to highlight what Houston is losing/isn’t getting than anything else. While the Texans tagged Jadeveon Clowney and resigned a handful of depth players, they’ve also lost Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu to other AFC teams. While the Honey Badger’s contributions were more in the x-factors of leadership than on field domination last season, Kareem Jackson had a career year and was one of the lone bright spots on an otherwise dismal defensive back group. To make things worse Womens Christian Covington Jersey , Jackson’s agent is saying the Texans never even so much as made an offer to K-Jax. While, the jury is obviously still out on this off-season, letting Jackson walk without so much as a home town discount sort of offer smacks of losing A.J. Bouye years ago. In other ways that the perception Houston is losing in free agency is rearing it’s ugly head, the two “best” offensive tackles are already off the market, with Trent Brown getting way over-paid by the Oakland Raiders and Ju’Wuan James landing with the Denver Broncos on a deal Houston could have matched or beaten, if they wanted to do so. As it stands, the Houston Texans’ roster needs have grown, not diminished. Offensive Line – rumors have it the Texans feel they can address this through the draft. With the top three offensive lineman mock-drafted in the top 20 picks, it’s unclear how that plan is going to work. Right now, Roger Saffold is still on the market, as is Matt Paradis. Cornerback – while many may not think Kareem Jackson Womens Jon Weeks Jersey , who was playing hybrid corner/safety last year, was worth the investment Denver made to sign him away from H-Town, there’s been no signs Brian Gaine has done anything to address replacing him yet. As of this writing, there are still a number of cornerbacks on the market, including Ronald Darby, Bradley Robley, Pierre Desir and Bryce Callahan. Defensive Line – The Texans brass resigned Joel Heath, Brandon Dunn and Angelo Blackson – not exactly a list of future Hall of Famers, but good depth players. However, with no interior pressure, J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney (if he’s still in Houston come September) won’t have much better luck this season than they did last season. Henry Anderson and Malcolm Brown are both worth a look here – if they’re still available by the time the Houston player personnel office wakes up. Running Back – Amazingly Joel Heath Jersey White , Houston hasn’t locked Alfred Blue up with a long term contract鈥?other than that, avoiding Le’Veon Bell so far is so good鈥?this might be a good place to address via the draft, although Houston has yet to strike gold in the draft when it comes to rock toting tailbacks – don’t forget that even the legendary Arian Foster wasn’t drafted鈥?Wide Receiver – probably another position that could be addressed via the draft. If DeAndre Hopkins could actually have Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee stay healthy for the entire season, Houston might quickly have the most lethal passing attack in the AFC, if not the league. But, history hasn’t given us any indication that this is anything more than a pipe dream. Tavon Austin, Kelvin Benjamin and Bruce Ellington could all be good depth players to sandbag against injury, should they remain available. Safety – the rumors are flying that Houston is taking a run at Earl Thomas, something we lobbied for last year prior to the Honey Badger’s arrival. Others are saying Gaine and co. are kicking the tires on Adrian Amos. While Andre Hal and Justin Reid can hold their own, operating with only two quality safeties in a division with Andrew Luck, Nick Foles and Marcus Mariota is foolhardy. While it certainly appears on the surface like Houston has done nothing to improve their roster http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-zach-cunningham-jersey , when facing a far tougher schedule in 2019 and looking up at the Colts who were down for several years, all hope is not lost. If the Texans can make a few solid moves now, then hit an A+ draft, they’ll be right back in the hunt. However, relying on the offensive lineman who started last season might as well be titled the “Deshaun Watson Early Retirement Plan” and not completly rebuilding the cornerback room with pro bowl caliber players means Watson is going to need all the help he can get in putting 30+ points on the board every game to offset the points Houston’s secondary will give up. Thankfully, they second round tendered Kaimi Fairbairn, so the All Field Goal offense still has a shot at Super Bowl glory! What do you think of free agency so far? Did Houston miss out on someone you wanted? Still have lots of free agents on your “Big Board” the Texans can target? Let us know in the comments section!]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72815/michael-roberts-jersey-white Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:57:31 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72815/michael-roberts-jersey-white The fall has stopped."With the eighth pick in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft Womens Ricky Jean Francois Jersey , the Detroit Lions have selected Penn State Amani Oruwariye. It was shocking to see Oruwariye that deep in the draft, but the Lions finally snagged him up and he could potentially contend for a starting outside corner job immediately.Lions remaining picksRound 6, Pick 11 (184 overall)Round 6, Pick 13 (186 overall)Round 7, Pick 10 (224 overall)Round 7, Pick 15 (229 overall)Top remaining needs for Lions:GuardCornerbackTight endWide receiverEDGELinebackerSafetyBackup QBNFL Draft scheduleSaturdayWhat: Rounds 4-7 of the NFL DraftWhen: Saturday, April 27, Noon ETWhere: Nashville, TNTV: NFL Network Anthony Zettel Jersey White , ESPN, ABCTime per pick: Rounds 4-6: 5 minutes; Round 7: 4 minutesEstimated time of Lions picks:Pick 184 overall: ~3:55 p.m. ETPick 186 overall: ~4:00 p.m. ETPick 224 overall: ~5:38 p.m. ETPick 229 overall: ~5:49 p.m. ET ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have a losing record, and one of the best teams in the NFL is coming to town.And the Lions won’t be at full strength when they face the Los Angeles Rams this weekend.Detroit put wide receiver Marvin Jones on injured reserve Monday after he missed the past two games with a knee injury. Jones’ absence leaves the Detroit receiving corps down another player. The Lions traded Golden Tate earlier this season.Jones has 35 catches for 508 yards and five touchdowns this season.“We just have to figure it out, roll with the next guy in there and see how it goes,” coach Matt Patricia said. “We can’t look back in those situations, we just have to look forward and we have to keep pushing. There’s nothing we can do about it. From that standpoint, it just gives other guys opportunities to go out and perform and go out and play at a high level.”Second-year receiver Kenny Golladay has been impressive and figures to be the team’s most dangerous target the rest of the season.“I think Kenny’s done a good job all year,” Patricia said. “I think it’s something that we talked about Danny Amendola Jersey White , probably going back to the spring, and then identified his ability and his skillset that we think can help us win in certain situations. Certainly, finding different ways to get him the ball is important for us, but he’s certainly a focal point for a lot of teams that we face. That puts stress on other areas that we have to be able to come through with.”The Lions (4-7) signed linebacker Nicholas Grigsby to the active roster from the practice squad and signed defensive end Eric Lee to the practice squad.After spending years trying to build a dynamic offense around quarterback Matthew Stafford, Detroit is suddenly hoping its quarterback can lead a more limited group . Not only does he not have Tate or Jones to throw to, but the Lions were also without rookie running back Kerryon Johnson (knee) in their Thanksgiving loss to Chicago .Stafford threw for only 236 yards in that game. Now Detroit will have more time to adjust to playing without Jones.“Going through these NFL seasons, guys go down for injury, guys go down for different reasons,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “We make adjustments. We adjust to fit the players.”The Rams (10-1) come into Sunday’s game after a weekend off. Their most recent game was a 54-51 win over Kansas City on Nov. 19.So the Lions may need to score a lot to win this game — with whoever is healthy enough to play.“I think it’s important for us to kind of look forward to this opportunity Michael Roberts Jersey White ,” Cooter said. “We’ve got five games. We’re going to go play ball and we’re going to go kind of see what certain guys can do and how we play.”NOTES: Jamal Agnew, who went on IR earlier this season with a knee injury, said he hasn’t been cleared to practice. Agnew, who earned All-Pro honors last season as a punt returner, would not say if he is running yet, and it’s not clear if he’ll be able to come back this season. “I’m always feeling good, but that’s not my decision to make,” he said. “I’m just going to put myself in the best position to try to come back and help the team win.”]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72600/jj-watt-jersey Fri, 19 Jul 2019 05:44:21 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72600/jj-watt-jersey LISTEN I know this is ridiculous Lonnie Johnson Jersey 2019 , but let’s have fun saying "why not Antonio Brown???!!!???"."LOOK.I know this is foolish, silly, and a total pipe dream.But sometimes when you are drowning in Ryan Griffin nightmares, Alfred Blue panic attacks, and seizures induced by thoughts of another extended absence by Will Fuller V - YOU NEED TO DREAM BIG.So let’s do that, if only for a moment.Allow me to make a logical case for Antonio Brown - which I am not even sure **I** agree with - and we’ll see how some of the other BRBers feel about it.Diehard Chris - The Case for Antonio Brown Which I’m Not Sure I’m Even In Favor Of But Let’s Take Our Pants Off And Get A Little Crazy For Once:BFmfn’D:Mike Bullock:Rivers McCown:Matt Weston:Okay, BRB, I will leave this in your hands.Feel free to comment on this COMPLETE AND TOTAL FANTASY, with or without your pants.I dunno, eat your Valentine chocolates until you can’t see anymore, log in, and tell us your thoughts.That’s how I do it.Enjoy your hellscape of a football-free weekend.Oh Lonnie Johnson Jersey Mens , right...AAF.Yeah, there’s that.Watch that. Who will stay and who will go from the front seven?"Depth for the Houston Texans’ defensive line has been an overlooked asset for the past couple years. With J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney stealing the spotlight, the deep supporting cast the Texans have on the defensive line has done a stellar job playing their part up front. As a group, they only allowed eight rushing touchdowns in the 2018 season, which was the third least in the NFL.This position was so deep that at times the coaching staff was forced to place significant contributors off the 46 player active game day roster. This luxury may soon be in jeopardy as four players are set to become free agents next week. Angelo Blackson, Christian Covington, Brandon Dunn, and Joel Heath have garrisoned a Texans defensive line that ranked third in the NFL in average rushing yards per game in 2018. With all four players set to become free agents, there likely will not be enough funds to go around to compensate all of them at the salary they are worth. The Texans did not pay a single one of these players over $1 million this past season. They are not likely to get away with such frugal compensation this year...Chart provided by SpotracAll four free agents to be are either 25 or 26 years old and have several more years of good football left in them. It will be a shame to watch one, two, or even three of them not return as they have all recieved significant playing time the past few seasons. Just as in any beauty contest, these four contestants vying for a renewed contract have shown off their respective skills in a variety of disciplines: pass rush Youth Lonnie Johnson Jersey , run stopping, versatility, and health. Covington, the only player the Texans drafted out of the group of defensive tackles, is an all-purpose lineman who flashed glimpses of pass-rushing capabilities this past season. Known for his run-stopping capabilities, Covington is a 3-4 defensive end, which means he generally lines up directly over the offensive tackle. In Houston’s defensive scheme, his job is to follow the script while Watt, Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus freelance across the defensive line. Particularly on run plays, Covington has become adept at being an immovable object on the defensive line when runs are directed his way. Along with those run defense skills, Covington has grown into a semi-capable pass rusher. With three and a half sacks last season White Lonnie Johnson Jersey , he is the most adept pass rusher out of this group about to hit the market. Covington has dealt with several strings of injuries throughout his four seasons. In 2017, he ended the season on IR with a torn bicep. In 2018, he battled a thigh injury among other nicks and bumps. The Texans will keep Covington over Heath, Dunn, and Blackson if they want to continue to develop him as a pass rusher and a versatile defensive lineman.Chart provided by SpotracAngelo Blackson is far and away the least-known yet highest-contributing player on the entire team. Taking over 40% of the snaps on defense, Blackson played in all 16 games this past season and stepped up this season as a run stopping defensive end. In a rotation with D.J. Reader, Blackson is a more of a 4-3 defensive tackle who matches up well against offensive guards in the trenches. He usually steps onto the field when the Texans are in nickel and he can line up further inside.For all of his contributions, Blackson goes relatively unnoticed on the defense, leaving the flashy plays and stats to players like Clowney, Reader, and Watt. With one sack and one tackle for loss on the year, keeping Blackson as a Texan may not be the most inspiring move the team makes this offseason. He isn't a stat sheet hero Julién Davenport Jersey , but a valuable piece to the middle of the front-seven. Along with Blackson, Brandon Dunn can be lumped into the “under the radar” category of Texans. The Texans signed Dunn off of the Bears practice squad in 2015. He has been with the team for four years now and has progressed into a starting nose guard for the defense. At 6’2” and 310 pounds, he is a tough man to move off of the ball. Dunn’s upper body strength enables him to shed blockers and maintain the defensive line of scrimmage for the Texans. Dunn had the pleasure and fortune to learn under Vince Wilfork for two years in Houston and he demonstrated those lessons quite often in 2018.Of the four free agents on the defensive line, Dunn should be the most coveted by opposing teams. A cost-effective defensive tackle is a valuable asset in a league where defensive linemen are garnering enormous salaries. If the Texans are to keep Dunn in the fold, I think they will have to sign him to a long-term deal and pay him between $5 - $6.5 million per year. It should be within salary cap means to keep Dunn, and conversely losing him would leave the team with just D.J. Reader as a defensive tackle option (although he is listed as a DE). Last on the list of upcoming free agents is Joel Heath. He is the only restricted free agent of the bunch, which means that if another team gives him an offer, the Texans have five days to match the offer or let him go. Heath contributed early in the season, but a knee injury, illness, and a lack of production kept him off of the game day roster for the second half of the season. In 2017, Heath had production comparable to what Dunn and Blackson did this past season. But with just five games played in 2018 J.J. Watt Jersey , Heath’s value to the team may not be as high as it once was. With a restricted free agent qualifying offer placed on him, there is a good chance Heath stays with the Texans unless someone actively pursues him this offseason.Each of the four players has several advantages worth keeping them in the mix to be a part of the 2019 version of the Texans d-line. In terms ofsnap counts, Blackson led the way with 430 plays on defense and played in all 16 games. While their production on the field are similar, Dunn should carry more value heading into the offseason due to his position as a NT for the Texans. For Covington, the Texans and specifically Bill O’Brien prefer to keep their drafted talent and continue to mold them throughout their career. Finally, for Heath, the restricted free agent status gives the Texans the opportunity to match and retain him without too big of an expense.There could be a ton of movement in this position group over the next couple weeks, so keep an eye out for any free agent moves in the NFL that may affect our current roster of defensive linemen.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72592/kerryon-johnson-jersey Fri, 19 Jul 2019 02:24:23 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72592/kerryon-johnson-jersey Matthew Stafford has epitomized the performance of the Detroit Lions this season Will Harris Jersey Womens , and fittingly so, given that he’s the star quarterback. Stafford had games where he looked in control where he and the Lions offense dictated the course of the game. Other weeks, Stafford looked uncharacteristically off-target and fazed by what he was presented with. By midseason it was anyone’s guess which Stafford Lions fans would get to watch on gameday. This week, however, Stafford was hitting on all cylinders, allowing the Lions to finish the up-and-down season with a reassuring victory.Unsung hero of the week: Matthew StaffordStafford finished the day Sunday 20-of-32 with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also posted a passer rating of 109.6 and mustered 8.3 yards per attempt, both his third-highest of the season and, more importantly Matthew Stafford Jersey , the highest since the Lions’ Week 7 victory over Miami. Stafford was able to work with a clean pocket in one of the offensive line’s best performances and took only one sack on the day. With plenty of time and space to operate, Stafford looked the most comfortable he had in a long time. He was hitting on all cylinders looking sharp, putting touch on longer passes, and putting the ball where only his receivers could get it, like this stunning touchdown pass to TJ Jones. It was reassuring, if nothing else, to see Stafford close out the year looking like his best self once more, although it seemed to have been overlooked by the equally stellar play of the offensive line Darius Slay Jersey , Zach Zenner, Romeo Okwara, Darius Slay, and many others. Not to mention, the most notable touchdown pass on the day came from kicker Matt Prater. The Lions’ win Sunday was the epitome of a team effort, and, without a doubt, it couldn’t have been pulled off if bad Stafford had showed up. Fortunately however Marvin Jones Jersey , Stafford seems to have found his groove once more, and we can only hope he can carry it into the start of next season. Football analytics website Pro Football Focus released their rankings of each offensive line unit in the NFL up to this point in the season Wednesday. The rankings seem to be based on their popular player grades they release after every game. The Detroit Lions came in sixth on the list, showing just how far the unit has come over the past few seasons. According to the PFF grades, right tackle Rick Wagner is the best of the Lions offensive lineman. He has earned a 76.7 through five games this season. Rookie first round pick Frank Ragnow rounds out the group with a respectable 60.6.General manager Bob Quinn has made a huge investment into the offensive line the past few years, and it is obvious that it has paid off. Both Ragnow and left tackle Taylor Decker were first-round picks. Wagner and guard T.J. Lang were big money free agents the Lions snagged in the spring of 2017 and center Graham Glasgow was a Day 2 draft selection. Every single one of them was a player brought in by Quinn and the new-and-improved unit seems to have lived up to his expectations. The Los Angeles Rams top the list, as they do seemingly every list this season. The Green Bay Packers also find themselves in the top five at No. 4. Former Lions first-round draft pick Laken Tomlinson is a member of the San Francisco 49ers unit that ranks fifth. There is an NFC North team in the tail end of the rankings, as the Minnesota Vikings find themselves in 27th.One interesting note is that the three teams directly above the Lions, the New Orleans Saints Kerryon Johnson Jersey , Packers and 49ers, all have at least one player grading in the 50s. While the Lions do not have elite talent all across the board, there seems to be no obvious weak link in their ranks either. The offensive line’s success shows up in the box score as well. Matthew Stafford has only been sacked nine times through four games this season. This is a huge upgrade from last season where it felt like he was in danger on almost every snap.]]> elaine95 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72586/hardy-nickerson-jersey Fri, 19 Jul 2019 01:34:56 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/72586/hardy-nickerson-jersey The names being kicked around for Cincinnati’s possibilities in the first round Color Rush Deshaun Davis Jersey , but who are some other under-the-radar players on defense that can help them in the later ones?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBAThe Orange & Black InsiderBengals NewsNFL Draft9 sleeper picks on defense the Bengals could target in the NFL DraftNew,49commentsThe names being kicked around for Cincinnati’s possibilities in the first round, but who are some other under-the-radar players on defense that can help them in the later ones?EDTShareTweetShareShare9 sleeper picks on defense the Bengals could target in the NFL DraftThe Cincinnati Bengals need help on both sides of the ball this year. Health was a major factor to a 2-9 finish on the season, but the uncovering of band-aids showed some major wounds on the roster. This was particularly the case for the defense, who set record marks in futility. Whether it was against the run or pass, many usually-solid players looked lost or disinterested at times for the team. Much like it is with the label of “value picks”, “sleeper” is a subjective term. Projected round of drafting, being placed on radars because of visits, and other factors provide differing levels of prospect visibility. Here are some players who could help the Bengals’ defense in the later rounds of the upcoming NFL DraftDefensive lineThe Bengals have acquired some solid talent along the line the past couple years, particularly in the middle rounds, but the defense needs an influx of talent to make a quantum leap from last year’s deplorable rankings. Depending on the type of player profile they covet, there are some hidden gems in this class. Cortez Broughton, defensive tackle, Cincinnati: The former Bearcat is a guy more in the Geno Atkins mold, who penetrates the backfield often and impacts the passing game. He had 7.5 sacks last year, and a whopping 18.5 tackles for loss. He’s a developmental guy Ryan Glasgow Jersey , but could become a nice rotational piece on rush downs for a club. With Atkins getting up there in age, grooming another defensive tackle who can get into the backfield would be wise. Albert Huggins, defensive tackle, Clemson: Lost in the formidable Tigers defensive line group comprised of Clellin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, Austin Bryant and Christian Wilkins is Huggins. He isn’t the pass-rush threat that Ferrell or Wilkins are, but could become a solid NFL player. He’s more of the run-stopping variety, which is okay for the Bengals, who were 29th on defense in that category last year. Cincinnati has traditionally liked to use mid and late-round picks on interior linemen, so Huggins can fit the profile. But, while Huggins shined for Lawrence during his suspension, questions linger about the impact of surrounding help on his numbers. Justin Hollins, edge, Oregon: Hollins is more of a 3-4 build (248 pounds at the Combine), but could find a niche as a rotational edge player for Cincinnati. Hollins has the build and athleticism NFL teams love from outside rushers, but his college numbers don’t really back up the potential (just 11 sacks combined the past two seasons).He is a stark contrast from the builds of the ends Marvin Lewis collected over the years Cheap Deshaun Davis Jersey , but could be a nice complementary piece to guys like Sam Hubbard and Carl Lawson. The futures of both Michael Johnson (free agent) and Jordan Willis (underachievement) with the Bengals are cloudy, so the door might be open for a late pick like Hollins. Maxx Crosby, edge, Eastern Michigan: This is another player a recent OBI listener turned us on to, and he has the tools to again be a rotational contributor at the next level. Kyle Crabbs over at The Draft Network likes some of his technique and potential, but notes that Crosby is a guy who needs to develop strength for the next level. Whether that’s for finishing plays or shedding blocks, it’s a must that he adds some bulk to his 6’5” frame. LinebackerThe Bengals seemingly shored up their inside linebacker position with their re-signing of Preston Brown, but a lack of other signings and their release of Vontaze Burfict a couple of weeks ago leaves more questions. They need guys who can play in space and defend the pass, but the group was deplorable against the run as well. While most mock drafts have the Bengals going with one of “the Devin’s” at No. 11, there are other viable options if they don’t, or decide to double-dip. Cody Barton, Utah: Despite their improvement in their draft hauls during the Marvin Lewis era from the one that preceded it, the Bengals still often tip their hand on some of their strategies. Cincinnati has shown interest in Barton by keeping close tabs on him at his recent Pro Day, so we decided to place him on this list. He had some great workout numbers and could be an interesting prospect on day three for a team that needs athletic linebackers. Barton is kind of known as a jack-of-all-trades after a solid statistical senior season. Cameron Smith, USC: Smith was a guy who was supposed to be the next in a line of great Trojan linebackers, but it never fully came to fruition. He did become a pretty solid college player Hardy Nickerson Jersey , but a lack of big plays after his freshman year, and not truly living up to expectations has hurt his draft stock. He should be a pretty good pro inside linebacker, too. Smith will truly shine with a good defensive line in front of him, which would allow him to use his sound instincts to be omnipresent around the football. He’ll probably be selected in rounds three or four. Joe Giles-Harris, Duke: This kid fills the checklist of the traditional Bengals linebacker. More of a run-stopping thumper who is limited in pass coverage, Giles-Harris could still give the Bengals depth at their weakest group. He’s known as having a high football I.Q. though, so what he lacks in overall athleticism is made up by his diagnosing of plays. That only gets you so far in the NFL, though. SecondaryDavid Long, cornerback, Michigan: The last time the Bengals grabbed a high-profile corner from the Wolverines, it worked out pretty well in the form of Leon Hall. Long isn’t the talent that Hall was, but does have some similarities in being physical and being a press coverage defensive back. He ran pretty well at the Combine with a 4.45 40-yard dash time, but his size and length brings worries. He could be a good third or fourth corner for a team early in his career and should be a third or fourth-round pick. Sheldrick Redwine, safety, Miami: People like what this kid brings from a versatility and skill set standpoint. He had three interceptions last year, showing off his former cornerback abilities as a safety. Because of the transition Deshaun Davis Jersey Womens , there is more needed development from the standpoint of diagnosing plays and not getting lost in complicated looks from an offense. Still, as a mid-round guy, he has a lot of tools to become a solid NFL starter after he gets some pro experience under his belt. If you’re unable to join us live for here at Cincy Jungle or YouTube every episode, all Orange and Black Insider content is available here on CJ, the Stitcher, Spotify and Google Play Music apps, our YouTube channel, as well as through Megaphone and, as always, on iTunes! You can tweet us @BengalsOBI or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening and go subscribe to our channels! Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert posted a workout video this week that showed he’s made good progress in his recovery from last year’s broken ankle with the start of free agency drawing closer.Eifert discussed his recovery and his impending freedom during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Eifert called himself “pretty close” to being ready to go on the field and said that his recovery from this ankle injury has been made easier because he went through it with his other ankle in the past.Those ankle injuries are part of a long list of injuries that have kept Eifert off the field for large chunks of his career. Eifert knows that will be part of the discussion with teams when the free agent market opens next month.“Obviously it’s something I have to deal with and something I have to answer to because it is a part of my history,” Eifert said. “It’s tough, though, because there’s nothing I could do to prevent what is happening. Pretty freak injuries.”Eifert was able to find one bright side to his most recent injury. He’s had three back surgeries and said that the time off due to his ankle injury has left his back feeling as good as it has ever felt, which is good news for Eifert even if it’s unlikely to lead to a lot of guarantees from teams that are aware of how infrequently he’s been able to play.]]> elaine95